Psychology (BSc) (Part-time) - 2013/2014 entry
Interested in a career in psychology or just interested in human behaviour? This degree introduces you to the various ways that psychologists investigate human behaviour, from brain scanning to the study of rioting crowds. Taught by leading academics, the degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society and is the first step to a career as a professional psychologist, working, for instance, as a clinical, educational, organisational, forensic or sports psychologist. If you don't wish to become a professional psychologist, you will still gain a range of transferable skills that have been shown to increase employability.
This course is also available for full-time evening study.
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Professional bodies that recognise this course
- The British Psychological Society.
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Course structure
Modules in Year 1 deal with the foundational aspects of psychology. You will explore in depth a range of core areas in Years 2 and 3. In Year 4, you select modules from a range of option modules and carry out a supervised research project.
The modules you take in Year 1 will be determined by the route you are assigned to, by the admissions tutor, based on your application and sometimes at interview. Route 1A covers the same material as the standard Route 1, but is delivered through small group, tutorial style teaching that suits some students better, particularly those for whom English is a second language and those who lack confidence in maths. All students follow the same pathway from Year 2 onwards, and all successful students graduate with the same award – a BSc Psychology (Hons). Anyone interested in studying for the BSc Psychology but who is concerned about their skill in English or maths, or who lack confidence in their ability to study at degree level is encouraged to apply for the part-time BSc Psychology as they may be able to study on Route 1a for the first year of their degree. Places on this route are however limited. The modules for the two routes are:
Year 1
Year 1 (Route 1A)
- Academic English and Study Skills for Psychology (BSc Route 1A)
- Foundations of Modern Psychology (BSc Route 1A)
- Biological Basis of Behaviour (BSc Route 1A)
- Introduction to Research Methods for Psychology (BSc Route 1A).
Year 2
Year 3
- Advanced Research Methods
- Individual Differences
- Language
- Memory and Cognition
- Perception, Attention and Performance.
Year 4
- Critical Analysis
- History and Philosophy of Psychology
- specialised option modules from various areas of psychology, for example Health Psychology; Brain and Cognitive Development; Family Studies; and Genetics and Psychology.
- Final-Year Project.
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Study resources
We offer study skills courses and one-to-one advice from our departmental learning co-ordinators. You will also be allocated a personal tutor.
Students have access to the Birkbeck Library, e-library and comprehensive online resources. As a Birkbeck student you will also be entitled to use many other libraries through a number of access agreements including the SCONUL Access Scheme, which allows you to borrow from the libraries of over 170 UK higher education institutions.
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Further study opportunities
We offer a range of Master's degrees in psychology, as well as doctorates.
If you already have a BA/BSc honours degree in a discipline other than psychology with a minimum 2:2, you might want to consider taking our part-time MSc Psychology instead.
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Careers information
Some graduates go on to train as psychologists and others to pursue a wide range of careers in fields such as education, human resources and management.
Find out more about careers in psychology.
- To speak to an independent careers advisor, booking onto one of our Future Focus — Careers Workshops
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Further details
Learning objectives
On successful completion of this course, you should be able to demonstrate:
- knowledge of the influences on, and factors involved in, human functioning in all the core areas of psychology
- detailed knowledge of several specialisms through option choice, for example: cognitive and affective neuroscience; health psychology; genetics and psychology; family studies; brain and cognitive development
- the ability to interpret, evaluate and communicate psychological theories and principles
- the ability to use primary sources, such as journal articles, and critically evaluate them.
Frequently asked questions:
- How is the BSc Psychology accredited? A Birkbeck Psychology degree is an internal BSc (Hons) of the University of London: the same degree as full-time students at the other London colleges get.
- What are the classes like? Birkbeck offers the great advantage of personal, face-to-face university teaching. Classes vary from 100+ in some lectures, to 50+ in laboratory classes, to about 16 in seminar and discussion groups. You will have a tutor for personal consultation, and teachers are regularly available to give formal and informal advice.
- Does the programme consist of just lectures? Most modules are primarily lecture-based. Exceptions include General Foundations (Course PSYC030S4), during which there are weekly small group meetings. In these meetings the class is split into groups of about 15 and a member of staff leads a discussion on current lecture material. Study skills exercises (e.g. how to write an essay, how to get the most out of a journal article) may also be conducted during these classes. The research methods courses (PSYC032H4, PSYC063S5, PSYC011H6) include laboratory sessions in which you learn experimental techniques and how to use statistical software packages. Some final-year option modules may include discussions in small groups.
- How much work will I need to do outside classes? You will need to allow time for writing essays and reports in connection with seminar and laboratory courses. You will also be expected to have time for reading books and papers recommended in your lecture courses. As a rule of thumb, we advise you to expect, as a minimum, to put in one hour of home study for every hour of lecture. So if you have nine hours of lectures a week, you should plan to set aside at least nine hours for study and preparation.
- Are applicants interviewed? If an applicant shows promise but has not convinced us of their suitability for the course, they may be called to an interview. Applicants are urged to complete the application form carefully and to provide us with detailed information concerning their educational qualifications and/or courses they are studying in order to meet the entry requirements. This is particularly important with regards to the level of mathematics attained and if English is not your first language, your IELTS qualification. (see Prerequisites and Entry Requirements). If you do not meet the standard entry requirements but your current work involves a high level of numeracy and literacy, information in this regard will be helpful. A clear well written statement in support of your application demonstrating a thoughtful and considered approach to studying psychology at degree level, is essential. Applications that are carelessly presented with scant attention to the detail required will be automatically rejected. The BSc in Psychology is extremely popular and we always receive more applications than we have places.
- Why are applicants interviewed? Where necessary, we interview applicants to satisfy ourselves that the general entry requirements have been met, but also to test whether applicants are sufficiently familiar with the content of the BSc Psychology syllabus. Normally there are no written tests but applicants who do not have a recent A-level in Psychology, or something similar (such as the Birkbeck Psychology Certificate of Higher Education), are advised to prepare for the interview by reading one of the main recommended texts. These books are several hundred pages long, and it is not expected that candidates will have time to read and understand the whole of one of these texts, but interviewees should attempt to scan through the contents, and to pick out at least one or two examples of topics which they could discuss very briefly during the ten-minute interviews.
Preliminary reading - course texts
General Foundations of Psychology
- Gleitman, H, Fridlund, A.J. and Reisberg, D. (2010) Psychology, (eighth edition). W.W.Norton.
Alternative General Foundations of Psychology Texts
- Gross, Richard D (2010) Psychology: the science of mind and behaviour. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- Hayes, Nicky. (2008) Foundations of Psychology. London: Thomson Learning.
Psychobiology and Psychobiology II
- Green, S. (1994) Principles of Bio-Psychology.
Introduction to research methods
- Harris, P. (2008) Designing and Reporting Experiments in Psychology, Open Guides to Psychology.
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Apply now
- Application deadlines and interviews
- Early application November–May recommended.
- Late applications June–September considered, but you are advised to apply early as we get a large number of applications and places fill up quickly.
- Departmental open days/evenings will be advertised later in the year.
- Online application
You can apply online from the link below. - Our Application Workshop will give you an overview of what Birkbeck looks for in an undergraduate degree application and includes practical writing exercises to help you write a more effective personal statement
- Application deadlines and interviews
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Key information set
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Welcome to Birkbeck, London's evening university: Number 1 in London for teaching and student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2012).
Birkbeck specialises in part-time, evening study. The Key Information Set has been developed for full-time, daytime courses. We are providing some additional information about our evening courses to help you make an informed choice.
Fees:
The Key Information Set (KIS) for this degree course shows the annual fee for a 3-year, full-time degree. This is a 4-year, part-time evening degree and the annual fee is lower than the fee shown in the KIS. See 'Fees and funding' in the left hand menu for the correct fee for this course.Years of study:
The KIS presents all degrees as 3-year courses. Birkbeck's standard part-time, evening degree is a 4-year course.
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